Cameron McJannet’s dramatic 94th-minute winner took the Mariners into the Sky Bet League Two play-off places with two games of the season remaining as they earned all three points against fellow promotion-chasers Cambridge United.

In an entertaining, high-tempo clash at the Cledara Abbey Stadium, Town took the lead through Kieran Green’s header but Ben Knight’s volley drew the hosts level four minutes before the break.

Knight had an opportunity to put his team ahead from a penalty on the hour but the spot-kick was saved by Jackson Smith and after the away side defended superbly to keep Cambridge out, McJannet had the decisive say deep into stoppage time.

The result means the Mariners move ahead of Chesterfield into the division’s top seven and they will now have an opportunity to clinch a play-off place on Saturday.

Geza Turi came in for Jamie Walker in the only change to the Grimsby XI following Saturday’s 4-1 victory at Gillingham.

Smith started in goal, with Harvey Rodgers, Maldini Kacurri, McJannet and Reece Staunton making up the defence.  Turi sat behind Justin Amaluzor, Green, Clarke Oduor and Jaze Kabia in midfield, as Andy Cook led the attack.

Walker was named on the bench, alongside Christy Pym, Tyrell Warren, Jayden Sweeney, Charles Vernam, Darragh Burns and Jude Soonsup-Bell.

Third-placed Cambridge were looking for a victory to strengthen their automatic promotion claims, with Neil Harris’ side knowing a win would take them four points clear of Salford City in fourth with two games to go.

Knight and Sullay Kaikai were both looking to add to their nine league goals and hit double figures for the season, while former Town goalkeeper Jake Eastwood returned from suspension aiming to stop his old team mates from hitting the net at the other end.

FIRST HALF

Defender Liam Bennett got to a Cook flick-on ahead of Kabia, before James Gibbons had to head a Staunton cross behind for the game’s first corner as the Mariners started on the front foot.  Staunton’s low flag-kick was cleared at the near post.

McJannet cleared a Knight cross at the other end, then the evening’s first good chance came when an Adam Mayor long throw broke for Pelly Ruddock-Mpanzu but his strike from 10 yards was blocked.

Kaikai headed wide for the hosts at the near post from a Mayor cross on six minutes, then Town created their first opening when a long goal kick from Smith was flicked on by Kabia for Cook, although he could not hit the target from the edge of the penalty area.

Louis Appere won a corner for Cambridge on nine minutes as the game moved from end to end and the delivery from the flag came off Kacurri’s head for another one.  This time, Cook cleared and the return ball into the box led to an offside decision.

Kaikai turned a Mayor cross from the left just wide of the near post, then Green was denied by Eastwood at the other end after Amaluzor won the ball on the right and found the midfielder inside the box.

Both sides were looking to attack at pace and Kaikai had the next opportunity for the hosts after a neat move but he could only lift the ball harmlessly over the bar from 12 yards.

McJannet headed the latest Mayor long throw out for another one, which was dealt with by Oduor, then two Staunton crosses from the left were well-defended as Town took their turn to attack.

The next time the Mariners went forward, they took the lead as Staunton sent a perfect ball into the box from the left and GREEN jumped to meet it and head past Eastwood.

Kelland Watts saw a shot blocked from close range as the home side looked to respond, before Cook headed a Mayor throw from the right clear.  Town broke through Amaluzor but Bennett got the ball back to Eastwood.

Dominic Ball was off-target after another long throw broke for him, then a Staunton cross at the other end was cleared as Town looked for a second goal.

The main home threat was coming from Mayor’s long throws and the next one on 34 minutes was headed behind by Rodgers for a corner.  Kaikai’s flag-kick from the left was headed on for Mamadou Jobe but he could only turn it onto the far post from close range.

Two minutes later, a foul by Kacurri on Kaikai gave Cambridge a free kick on their left but Cook was in place to head it clear at the far post.

The hosts were pushing for an equaliser before the break and they got it on 41 minutes, as Appere played the ball down the left for Mayor and his cross picked out KNIGHT to side-foot a volley past Smith.

The Mariners were immediately back on the attack with two Staunton crosses from the left but a fast break saw Kaikai cut inside from the left until he was tripped by Turi, who saw the first yellow card of the evening for the foul.  Mayor’s free kick was cleared by Staunton.

Knight was stopped after getting the ball inside the box from Bennett on the right just before the first half moved into three added minutes, then Staunton dealt with another right-wing cross.

Neither goalkeeper was called into further action before the half-time whistle, with the game nicely poised at 1-1 at the interval.

SECOND HALF

No changes were made ahead of the restart and Cook sent a low shot wide from 25 yards in Town’s first opportunity of the second half.

Mayor was also off-target with a cross-shot from the left at the other end, before Bennett won a corner on the home right when his cross was blocked by Staunton.  Mayor’s flag-kick broke for Kaikai but his powerful drive from inside the box was bravely blocked by Rodgers.

Kabia fired over the bar from a narrow angle after a well-worked move down the Grimsby right, then Green won a corner but Kaikai headed Staunton’s delivery from the right away for a throw-in.

Cambridge’s next attack led to them being given an opportunity to complete the turnaround on the hour as a throw-in fell for Mpanzu inside the box and he was brought down by Kacurri.  The referee pointed to the spot but after the defender was booked, Smith stretched out his right leg to keep Knight’s penalty out and ensure the scores remained level.

Mpanzu missed the target from distance on 63 minutes as the hosts continued to go forward, then Mayor was also wide after being found by Knight on the edge of the box.

Smith claimed a cross from Bennett on the right, before Walker and Vernam replaced Turi and Green as the Mariners made their first two substitutions with 68 minutes on the clock.

Rodgers won a corner after a low pull-back from Amaluzor was cleared and it eventually led to another flag-kick, this time on the opposite, left flank when Oduor’s 20-yard strike took a deflection.  This time, Vernam took it and found Cook but the striker’s header dropped wide.

Elliott Nevitt and Korey Smith replaced Appere and Mpanzu in Cambridge’s first changes on 74 minutes and a Mayor cross soon afterwards landed on the roof of Smith’s net.

Cook could not work an opening for a shot after Walker did well to win the ball in midfield, before Amaluzor was inches wide of the near post with a strike from the edge of the box as Town looked to be getting on top with a little over 10 minutes to go.

James Brophy came on for Mayor as the home side made a third change and it took a great sliding challenge from McJannet to stop the substitute on a run down the right on 83 minutes.

A foul by Kacurri on Knight gave Cambridge a free kick on the left soon afterwards but Brophy’s ball was headed away and when Knight eventually sent it back into the box from the right, Smith came off his line to punch clear.

Warren came on for Oduor in the red and blue of the Mariners with a minute to go and his first action was to make a vital interception from a Brophy cross.

A home corner followed moments later but the referee spotted an infringement as Brophy sent it across and blew for a Town free kick.

A minimum of eight added minutes gave both sides further opportunity to snatch a hugely significant late winner and Cook did well to hold the ball up and win a throw-in near the right corner flag.  Sweeney replaced Staunton before it was taken and when play resumed, Amaluzor’s blocked cross earned a corner.

From the flag-kick, the Mariners grabbed that vital goal.  Kaikai headed Vernam’s ball away but it was worked back to the winger and his cross broke for McJANNET to score at the far post.

Smith punched a Brophy corner clear as Cambridge looked for a last-gasp leveller but the hosts were unable to create any further chances, leaving the Town players and staff to celebrate a massive three points with the 1,032 travelling supporters.

The Mariners are next in action when they take on Swindon Town in a 12.30pm kick-off at Blundell Park on Saturday, knowing that a victory in that game would be enough to seal a play-off spot ahead of the final fixture of the season at Tranmere Rovers on May 2.

Town: Smith, Rodgers, Kacurri, McJannet, Staunton (Sweeney, 90+3), Turi (Walker, 68), Amaluzor, Green (Vernam, 68), Oduor (Warren, 89), Kabia, Cook

Subs not used: Pym, Burns, Soonsup-Bell

UTM